If you were trying to construct The Most Painfully 1970s SF TV Show Ever, you might come up with The Phoenix, and never mind that it debuted in 1981.
I mean, look at the intro footage, and tell me it doesn’t reek of the 1970s:
I mean, ancient astronauts, pyramid power, ESP, big medallions and feathered hair! How much more 70s can you get?
This arrived after my “I’ll Watch Any Damn SF/F/H Show On TV” phase, and it actually came and went so quickly (only five episodes aired, including the pilot) I wasn’t even aware of it.
Someone has put up a fairly crappy quality video of the complete pilot:
Hope you like flute music. The writing isn’t very good, but Judson Scott (who I remember best as Khan’s second-in-command) is surprisingly tolerable as Hunky McSunAlien.
In fact, making is probably the wrong word, since it evidently premiered on SyFy tonight. (I’ve been busy.)
If you hadn’t heard of it before, it’s a Creepy Pasta about a obscure kid’s TV marionette show, except most kid’s shows don’t have characters like “The Skintaker.” And naturally, kid’s remember how creepy it was, but parents only remember them watching static.
Here’s a trailer:
And here’s someone’s interpretation of the imaginary show’s imaginary theme music:
Probably because I was searching for various clips following Gene Wilder’s death, this video about Marty Feldman’s life came up on YouTube. I thought I’d see a few minutes of it and actually ended up watching the whole thing.
Here in the U.S. Feldman is probably know mainly for appearing in Young Frankenstein, but in the UK he was revered as a radio and TV comic writing and performing genius who held his own working with many of the people who would later form Monty Python. Indeed, Feldman co-wrote the famous “Four Yorkshiremen” skit Python would later adopt as their own, and when Python first went on the air, Feldman was staring in his own Marty show on the BBC.
I knew George Alec Effinger and had collected most (but not all) of the books before his untimely death in 2002. His four Planet of the Ape books (based on the short-lived live-action CBS TV show) were among the ones I lacked. (Media tie-in works are something I only pick up when they’re incredibly cheap, or when I’ve already picked up everything else.) These four are all from the estate of Fred Duarte.
Effinger, George Alec. Planet of the Apes 1: Man the Fugitive. Award 1974. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine- copy with light reading creases, wear, and slight rubbing (and the usual age-darkening to pages). Inscribed to Fred by Effinger.
Effinger, George Alec. Planet of the Apes 2: Escape To Tomorrow. Award, 1975. First edition paperback original, a Near Fine copy with light wear (and the usual age-darkening to pages). Inscribed to Fred by Effinger.
Effinger, George Alec. Planet of the Apes 3: Journey Into Terror. Award, 1975. First edition paperback original, a Fine- copy with very slight rubbing (with usual age-darkening to pages). Inscribed to Fred by Effinger.
Effinger, George Alec. Planet of the Apes 4: Lord of the Apes. Award 1976.First edition paperback original, a Near Fine copy with light reading creases and wear (and the usual age-darkening to pages). Inscribed to Fred by Effinger.
What’s a great artistic endeavor? Why that would be The Star Wars Holiday Special! Or at least the artistic challenge of same, in the eyes of one of the writers, namely the difficulty on writing for wookies to seal-honk inscrutably to each other for 20 minutes.
Also: Suspicions confirmed!
All right, so at this point, I’m going to quote The Onion’s A.V. Club, who wrote about the show — this is a quote — “I’m not convinced the special wasn’t ultimately written and directed by a sentient bag of cocaine.”
Is that what was going on with that scene?
Bruce Vilanch: Well, there was a lot of that. Absolutely, yeah. I mean, it was 1977! I think after 40 years, probably the statute of limitations has run out, as well as the cocaine.
Also this:
“I know it’s one of the worst television shows of all time. And I’ve written… Listen, I wrote “Wayne Newton at Sea World.” So I know whereof I speak.”
Joel Hodgson and his team did a masterful job generating momentum over the course of the kickstarter (Felicia Day! Jerry Seinfeld!). Now they’re going to make 14 new episodes, which wasn’t even a stretch goal when the started out.
Now all we have to do is wait until November 2016…
It looks like I need not have worried. The Bring Back Mystery Science Theater 3000 Kickstarter has shattered the $5.5 million/12 episode barrier with less than an hour to go. The numbers keep flipping, but it was $5,697,311 when I checked just now. Add on the $425,000 add on funds, and it looks like they’ll do 13 episodes this season.
Here are a few performers who are interested in appearing on MST3K next season:
JACK BLACK, the brilliant comic actor and musician, star of everything from the Kung Fu Panda films to the wonderful School of Rock… though to some people, of course, he’s better known as one-half of Tenacious D. So, I don’t wanna tell you anything about what I’m planning for his character… but I think it would be a lot of fun to have him perform a song.
JOEL MCHALE, who I first knew as the hilariously dry host of The Soup, and who has been expanding his acting career into television (as the star of Community) and film (the Ted movies). I met Joel at a friend’s wedding last year, and we became fast friends. He’s a really nice guy, so even though he’s in demand for big-time revivals like The X-Files, he says he’s up for joining us too!
BILL HADER, the incredible changeling/actor/impressionist who has appeared in everything from SNL to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs to Trainwreck. I’ve always been amazed by Bill’s talents, and was finally introduced to him backstage at SNL by a mutual friend.
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS is a true renaissance man whose career spans film, TV, the broadway stage and the internet, where he appeared opposite our own Felicia Day in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Funny enough, though, I actually met Neil through mutual friends at the Los Angeles Magic History Conference, where we geeked out on magic together. Also, I’m honored to point out that Neil has always been a MSTie. In fact, he was included in first MST documentary – This is MST3K – all the way back in his Doogie Howser days!
JERRY SEINFELD, my long time friend, and of course, one of our most brilliant stand-up comedians. Jerry was also the co-creator of Seinfeld, and the creator and host of my favorite concept for a talk show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. You know, I’ve known this guy for over thirty years. I actually remember him from when he only had one car.
Plus Mark Hamill. And (from yesterday’s email) the guys behind the designs for Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Adventure Time.
A lot of those guys have extremely popular and active fanbases, so this could very well put them over the $5.5 million/12 episode mark.
Or so say their latest email. The Kickstarter total shows $4,163,213 (as of right this instant). Maybe the Kickstarter site doesn’t include the “add-ons.”
Anyway, you only have until Friday night to back this Kickstarter and have them produce a full 12 episodes, so go ahead and cough it up if you haven’t already…
